Refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 26, 1929.

C. E. MOLESWORTH ET AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 17, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet WWWMW INVENTORS Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,351

C. E. MOLESWORTH AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 17, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 7 47 W 7 44 @4 1; I .50 4

61. r05 5 NOL ESWORf/l INVENTOR ATTORN EY so'fri oration.

Patented Feb. 26, UNITED, STATES 1,103,351 PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE r. monaswon'rn, a'onN DUDMAN', AND cam. a. 201mm, or SEATTLE,

WASHINGTON.

nnrnmnnuma. arramrus.

Application filed September 17, 1927. Serial No. 220,157.

This invention relates to refrigerating systems and more particularly to improvements in refrigeratin apparatus of that character utilizing lique ed gases, such as anhydrous ammon1a,'or other pre-cooled liquid, as the refrigerant; it being the principal object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating system which employs no mechanically operating devices such as pumps, compressors, motors, or the like, which isvery desirable for and may be economically used in mercantile places for ice cream cabinets, show cases, etc., and which also, in a modified form,

may be used with great success in refrigerator.

cars and cold storage plants.

More specifically stated, the object of the present invention resides in the provision of a refrigerating system comprising an insulated container for a liquid refrigerant an In accomplishing the objects of the inven tion, we have provlded the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a refrig-- erator constructed in accordance with details of the present. invention. 1

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a part I of the piping system of the system, showing the goose neck traps.

Figu the control valve mechanism.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of an alternative type of construction for show case reigure 6 is a front view, partly in section, of the same. Y Figure 7 is a sectional view of a refrigerator car e nipped with a refrigerating system embodi by this invention.'

re 4 is a detailed sectional view of Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of the same.

- In the followingspecification, we have described in detail the system in its arrangement for the cooling of ice cream'packers, but it is to be understood that it has been shown in this particular form only for the purpose of explanation, since it is just as well adapted for other uses illustrated, such as for show case cooling in the ordinary mercantile establishments, or for railway car refrigeration in which instance the dispositiori of the coils and size of cooling compartments would be made to suit the particular use.

The feature of this invention,briefly stated, resides in providing gravity fed expansion coils with an automatic, temperature controlled means whereby the coil may be closed when a certain predetermined reduction of temperature has been attained in the cooling chamber, so that the gas produced from the refrigerant incident to absorption of heat from air or brineabout the coil will act to push back the liquid from the coil and thus prevent any further reduction of temperature; then, when the temperature again rises, due to the holding back of the refrigerant, the valve opens to free the gas for displace-. ment by the refrigerant so that the desired reduction of temperature may be maintained.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawings, particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3- 1 v1 designates the refrigerator body to be interiorly cooled which, as here shown, is of rectangular form and is divided transversely by partition walls 2, of suitable insulating material, into a plurality of compartments 3 to which access may be had through top openings 4 to which covers 4: are fitted. Within these compartments are tanks 5 for holding a suitable brine, designated at 5, anddisposed within these tanks are the ice cream cans, or containers, 6.

While the construction of the box, or housing, 1 has not been illustrated in detail in the resent drawings, it is to be understood that its walls would be constructed in the conventional manner, .or any suitable manner, and of such materials that it will be non-conductive to heat or cold and inside temperatures will be unaffected by outside temperatures.

In the construction here shown, the housing 1 has a compartment, provided at one end by means of a transverse wall 2, within the upper part of Which a tank, or receptacle, 7 is suspended; this tank being closed and is adapted to contain a volatile, or pre-cooled, liquid or a liquefied gas, designated at 8, as the refrigerant Leading from the base of the tank there is a downwardly directed pipe 9 which extends to near the base of the com-- partment where it is fitted with two goose neck? traps 1010 which connect, respectively, with pipes 1111' leading to the lower end of expansion coils 12--12 located in the brine tanks and about the containers 6. Each of these coils, as shown, and, at its upper end, leads'back'into the refrigerant container 7 through the top wall of the latter, but each coil is equipped at a point Just before it leaves its respective compartment with a thermostatically operated valve 'liquid refrigerant to the coil.

mechanism, as designated at 15, whereby the escape of gas from the coil is controlled as a means of regulating the admittance of the is a filling Connected with the two traps,

side of the and drain pipe 13 leading to the housing where it has a valved connection 13 for attachment to a filling hose. also equipped with a goose neck rial not .a

again enters the coils.

This pipe is trap 14 as a means-of preventing the filling pipe from remaining flooded.

ne form of valve 15 used and its control means is shown in'Figure 4., wherein 15 designates a valve housing provided interiorly with a valve seat 16 on which aball valve 1 connects with the housing above the valve and'a continuation of the coil, designated at 12*, leads from thehousing below the valve seat and opens into the top of container 7. Extending downwardly from the valve housing is a tube 18 and mounted coaxially therein, by a fixed, adjustable connection at its lower end, is a rod 19 which engages with the ball valve. In this construction, the rod 19 is very sensitive to temperature changes and expands and contracts in accordance with these changeawhile the tube 18 is of a mateected to any appreciable extent. The extent so long as .the temperature in the compartment which the valve controls is above a certain predetermined degree, it retains the ball valve unseated, to thereby permit escape of gas from the expansion coil back into the container 7, but, when the temperature is reduced below that degree desired, the rod 19, due to contraction, seats the ball valve 17 to stop the outlet of gas. This results in the displacement of or pushing back of the liquid refrigerant from the coil into the container 7 so that no further lowering of temperature will result. When the temperature again rises, due to the holding back of the refrigerant, the valve is opened and the refrigerant Thus, the valve 15,

is spirally formed vent a continuation of is seated. The end of the expansion coil 12' of the rod 19 is so adjusted that viously described, for

perature in the compartment 3. By providing a valve mechanism 15 for each compartment, diflerent temperatures may be maintained.

The container 7 is also provided at'the top with a vent pipe 25 for the venting-of gas. This pipe may lead into a gas retaining device (not shown) if so desired, and it is preferred that the ends of the pipes 25 and 12 within the container 7 be bent away from each other as shown.

Assuming the device to its operation is as follows:

First, the tank 7 is filled to a suitable height through pipe 1 3 with aliquid refrigerant. This passes, by gravity flow, through the pipe 9, goose neck traps 10.10, pipes 1111 and into the coils 12-12. Heat absorbed from the coils and compartments 3 results in slowly transforming the-liquid refrigerant in the coils into a gas, which bubbles up through the coils and passes through the regulating valves 15 and pipes 12 to the tank 7. As the temperature in a compartment is lowered to a predetermined degree, the 'valve. 15 'in that compartment automatically closes, as previousl described, to preow of gas and this closing results in refrigerant from the coils as far as the trap 10 so that the temperature will not go lower. When the temperature rises, due to this pushing back of the refrigerant, the valve again opens to permit the gas to escape and the liquid refrigerant to re-enter the coils.

an alternative construction operating on practicallythe same principle as that above described but in a slightly different type of 'babinet. In this construction, the refrigerating cabinet is shown The. valve device thus controls the temperature pushing back the liquid in connection with show cases which are designed'to be kept cool by circulation of air in contactwith the cooled I walls of the refrigerated area. In this construction, 30 designates what may be a show case construction provided at a point, preferably midway between its ends, with a refrigerati'ng compartment 31 wherein, at the top,

a refrigerant containing tank 32 is located and which is connected with pipe coils 33 to supply the latter with refrigerant by gravity flow'in the same manner as described in connection with the device of Figures 1 and 2.. These coils are supplied with liquid by con-. nection at their lower ends and, at their upper ends, they have connections 33' that lead back into the supply tank. They are also equipped with traps 10 and automatically operated valve mechanisms 15,

as re the purpose of regifiating the temperature in the refrigerated area. Mounted slightly in spaced relation to the side walls 35 of the refrigerated area, are walls 36 provided at upper and lower edges with o enings 37 over which slides 38 are ad- ,justab y mountedas a means of controlling the area of the passages. The air within the show case compartments 40, at opposite sides of the refrigerated area, is kept cool by circulation throu h the spaces between walls and 36, and its degree is controlled by the adjustment of the slides so as to 'regulate the rate of circulation.

In Figures 7 and 8, we have illustrated an adaptation of the present system to railway car refrigeration. In these views, 45 designates what may be a refrigerator car equipped with storage, tanks 46 for liquid refrigera'nt in insulated compartments 47 at its ends, and exfpansion coil 48 into which the refrigerant is d by gravity flow; this system operating on the same principle as that 'ust described in the show case construction.

artition walls 49 separate the area close to the coils from main part of the car and openings 5051 at the top and lower edges of these partitions permit of a circulation of air through the refrigerated areas and interior of the car.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a refrigerating system, a source of li%'uid refrigerant, an expansion coil into w ich said refrigerant may flow by gravity, and means for controlling the escape of gas from the coil as a means for controlling the admittance of refrigerant thereto.

2. In a refrigerating system of the character described, a source of liquid-refrigerant, an expansion coil for receiving the refrigerantand a temperature controlled means for controlling the-esca e of gas from the coil as a means for control mg the admittance of the refrigerant to the coll.

3. In a refrigerating system of the character described, a refrigerating chamber, a

source of liquid refrigerant, an expansion coil'within said chamber connected with the source of refrigerant by avity flow to receive the refrigerant, a va ve at the outlet of the cm] for controlling the escape of gas therefrom and temperature controlled means.

for opening and closing the valve.

4. In a refrigerating system of the character described, a housing providing a refrigerating chamber, a vented container for a liquid refrigerant, an expansion coil within the chamber connected at one end to the container so as to be fed with refrigerant thererefrigerant and means for controlling the passage of gas from the coil as a means of controlling the feeding of refrigerant thereto.

5. Ina refri erating system of the character describe a refrigerating cabinet divided to form separate, insulated compartments, a vented refrigerant container in one of said compartments, an expansion coil in another of said compartments connected at its lower end to 'receive. refrigerant from the container by gravity flow and leading at its upper end back into the top of the container, a valve mechanism disposed in the coil adjacent its upper end for controlling the flow of gas from the coil and a thermostatically operated mechanism connected to open and close the valve.

6. In a refrigerating s stem, a refrigerating chamber, a source 0 liquid refrigerant,

ing chamber, a source of liquid refrigerant, 1

an expansion coil in the chamber having a pipe connection at its lower end with the source of refrigerant to receive the refrigerant by gravity flow, a valve in the coil near its upper end, temperature controlled means for opening and for closing the valve. and a trap 1n the connection between the coil and source of suppl for limiting the back flow of gas in the coil:

8. In a refrigerating system, a refrigerab. ing chamber, a source of liquid refrigerant, an expansion coil in the chamber having a pipe connection at its; lower end with the source of refrigerant, to receive the refrig-' erant by gravity flow; means in the upper end of the coil for controlling the passage of gas therefrom as a means of controlling the inflow of refrigerant, and a trap in the connection between the source of supply and coil for limiting the back flow of gas, and a filling and draining pipe connectedwith the 

